The invention is an improved dental instrument for root canal dental treatment, and in particular a combined instrument of both a condenser instrument and a spreader instrument. Specifically, it is a combined dental instrument with a common handle with removable and replaceable instrument ends or tips which are gauged marked to indicate the depth at which the dental work is being performed as well as size indication.
In performing root canal work there is a phase at which the prepared root canal must be filled with a recognized dental filling material. In the prior art two instruments have been used for this work, a condenser and a spreader. In using the two instruments it has meant that the dentist must alternately put down one instrument and then pick up the other instrument to do the work. This method has two distinct disadvantages, one is the loss of time in an expensive procedure and the other is that the filling material has a tendency to stiffen or harden during the delay between the manual change of instruments.
In the present invention both instruments, the condenser and the spreader, are each on opposite ends of a common handle. The change from one instrument to the other is performed quickly by a flip of the instrument in the hand, a fast movement of the fingers with some minor movement of the wrist. The change is so rapid that the filling material is essentially worked almost constantly so that it does not stiffen or harden to any perceptible degree.
In addition, dental instruments used in the preparation of the root canal prior to the filling procedure are in a plurality of diametrical sizes as the tooth is prepared at different depths. In a like manner, the condensers and spreaders are similarly diametrically sized for the various diametrical dimensions of the prepared root canal at the different depths.
In the prior art each condenser and each spreader of each size had its own handle, a very expensive arrangement. In the present arrangement a common handle member is used with recesses or pockets in each end into which removable and replaceable condensers and spreaders can be inserted to snap into place. Thus, the expense of a plurality of handles is eliminated.
The plurality of sizes of the condensers and the spreaders is reproduced in pairs in the present invention, a pair being a spreader and a condenser of the same size as a removable and replaceable snap-in set, one spreader and one condenser of like size.
Breakage and bending of the delicately sized condensers and spreaders occurs and with the snap-in type of instrument ends the economical savings of the present invention is readily apparent when the handle of such instruments is not lost with the breakage of the condenser or spreader end. The versatile handle has economic as well as performance advantages.
The condensers and spreaders of the present invention are color coded to match the root canal preparation instruments so that the dentist can readily select the size of condenser and spreader tip in accordance with the size of the preparation instrument used to prepare the root canal for filling. This assures the proper condensing and spreading of the filling material for the most efficient and proper filling of the root canal. This matching of condensers and spreaders by the color code also assures that the proper standardized tapes diameter is used for the work to be done by the condenser and spreader.
In the prior art some attempt has been made at line or groove or score working of dental instruments for depth, but the lines or grooves or scores are difficult to see or read and easily mistaken. Also, the line or groove or score marking increases the chances of breakage because of the cut in the surface of the very thin and fine diameters of the instruments. This would be especially true in the case of condensers and spreaders because of the pressure exerted on the instruments to do the dental work involved, plus the flexing and bending which occurs.
The operating heads may be either uniangular or bayonet style. The condensers are smooth, flat ended, and slightly tapered and used to condense the filling material, such as gutta percha, vertically in a root canal. The spreaders are also smooth and pointed, and tapered for laterally condensing the filling material in a root canal by a vertical rotary motion.
In the present invention part of the color coding is to match up the improved condenser spreader with the size of the root canal files used to prepare the root canal prior to filling. Thus, by this color code matching the diameter and angle of the improved condenser spreader will match the diameter and angle of the root canal preparation instrument and assure a completely filled root canal cavity. This method standardizes the procedure.
In the prior art condenser and spreader instruments were of two types, those known as finger instruments and those known as long handled instruments. The finger type instruments could not exert enough pressure to adequately condense and spread the filling material and the long handled instruments exerted too much pressure and often cracked the root structure of the tooth. With the present inventions matched sizes of instruments as to diameter and angle, the filling procedure is more efficient with a reduction in encountered problems.
The color coding of the condensers and spreaders of the present invention provides the dentist with immediate information as to which size to use in order to match the root canal preparation instrument without a trial and error method. International Standard color codes are used as described later hereinafter.
In a like manner the color code of the size of the instrument is also used in the present invention to color code the depth. This provides the dentist with information in order to match up the depth of the root canal preparation with the depth of the filling to be made by the condenser and spreader. Thus, the dentist knows immediately how close to the tip of the root of the tooth he prepared and also how close he was for the correct filling of the root canal.
It is this depth of penetration that enables the filling material to be properly condensed and spread for an effective filling. Scientific studies show that the proper depth of the condenser and spreader is the key to a successful root canal filling.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a dental instrument that combines both a condenser instrument and a spreader instrument for root canal treatment.
It is another object of this invention to provide a dental instrument that has a common handle for both a condenser instrument and a spreader instrument.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a dental instrument that has removable and replaceable condenser and spreader tips.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a dental instrument in a plurality of sizes for both the condenser and the spreader tips.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a dental instrument that is color coded to relate the size of the condenser and spreader tips to the size of the root canal preparation instruments.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a dental instrument that is gauge marked to indicate depth at which dental work is being performed.
It is yet still another object of this invention to provide a dental instrument that color codes the gauge markings for easy and visable reading and relation to the size of the instrument.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in light of the following description of the preferred embodiments.